Chris Kelly, ex-Asana growth lead, joins Ross Hudgens to break down how Asana scaled to 20M+ international SEO visits—and how to do it again in 2025.
They dive into localization strategy, market prioritization, TMS tools, team structures, and how to tie international SEO directly to business outcomes.
Chris also unpacks real-world mistakes, market-specific tactics, and where AI fits into future-proofing global content.
Show Notes
0:08 – How Chris led Asana’s international SEO from 0 to 20M+ visits
2:12 – Aligning SEO with real business outcomes
4:27 – How to prioritize markets and go deep, not wide
6:06 – Why “strategy before scale” matters more than ever
9:09 – Centralized vs. distributed SEO models
10:13 – The localization decision waterfall: MT, native copy, or hybrid?
13:11 – Tiered frameworks for scaling efficiently across regions
16:43 – Localization teams and SEO: why they must integrate
18:05 – Market nuances: Japan vs. Germany
20:18 – The role of user research in international SEO success
22:02 – When to implement a Translation Management System (TMS)
25:33 – Real talk: the true cost of international SEO
28:18 – Mistakes to avoid: budget, ops, and lack of data
33:10 – Building the right international SEO team
35:06 – Communication tips for global collaboration
38:34 – How AI will transform international strategy and QA
42:26 – Will AI erase top-funnel SEO internationally?
